Description
The Kori Bustard is cryptically colored, being mostly grey and brown in color, finely patterned with black and white coloring. The ventral plumage is more boldly colored, with white, black and buff. The crest on its head is blackish in coloration, with less black on the female's crest. A black collar at the base of the hind-neck extends onto the sides of the breast. The feathers around the neck are loose, giving the appearance of a thick neck. The belly is white and the tail has broad bands of brownish-gray and white coloration. The head is large and the yellow legs are relatively long. Females are similar in plumage but are much smaller, often weighing 2-3 times less than the male. The juvenile is similar in appearance to the female, but are browner with more spotting on the mantle.
The male Kori Bustard is 120 to 150 cm (3.9 to 4.9 ft), stands 71–120 cm (2.33–3.9 ft) tall and have a wingspan about 230 to 275 cm (7.5 to 9.02 ft). On average, male birds weigh between 10.9–16 kg (24–35 lb), averaging 13.5 kg (30 lb) but exceptional birds may weigh up to 20 kg (44 lb). Reports of outsized specimens weighing 23 kg (51 lb), 34 kg (75 lb) and even 40 kg (88 lb) have been reported, but none of these giant sizes have been verified and some may be from unreliable sources. Among bustards, only male Great Bustards achieve similarly high weights, making the male Kori and Great not only the two largest bustards, but also arguably the heaviest living flying animals. The female Kori Bustard weighs an average of 4.8 to 6.1 kg (11 to 13 lb), with a range of 4.3 to 6.6 kg (9.5 to 15 lb). Female length is from 80 to 120 cm (2.6 to 3.9 ft) and they usually stand less than 60 cm (2.0 ft) tall and have a wingspan of less than 220 cm (7.2 ft). The wing chord can measure from 58.5 to 83 cm (23.0 to 33 in), the tail measures from 30–45 cm (12–18 in), the culmen from 7 to 12.5 cm (2.8 to 4.9 in) and the tarsus from 16 to 24.5 cm (6.3 to 9.6 in). Body size is generally greater in the populations of southern Africa and body mass can vary based upon rain conditions.
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